Current state-of-the-art one piece pet door panels either do not typically allow for adjustability of the associated pet portal or, if they do, require tools, disassembly and reassembly of the lowermost portion of the pet door panel by the consumer. Another method of changing the height of the pet portal is accomplished as described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,207,141, wherein the pet door panel consists of three modules, the bottom module contains the pet portal and flap assembly while the center and top modules are essentially solid filler pieces. The height of the pet portal is accomplished by removing the screws that attach the portal frame and flap assembly to the lower module, removing the frames and flap assembly, inverting the bottom module to change the height of the rise of portal opening, reinserting and attaching the frames and flap assembly to the bottom module.
Known current one piece pet door panels for sliding patio doors do not have a pet portal height adjustability feature, and require tools to disassemble and reassemble the lowermost portion thereof, which typically includes a frame designed to accommodate a separate security panel to be placed over the portal opening to prevent a pet from using the portal. Although, the pet door panel described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,207,141 incorporates the security panel as an integral part of the flap assembly, there remains a need for a tool and some disassembly and reassembly to remove and reinsert the frames and flap assembly when changing the height of the pet portal. This same level of disassembly and reassembly of the flap assembly and security panel frames is required when it is time for the consumer to replace a worn component such as the flap in the field.
Accordingly, there is a need for a pet door panel adapted to facilitate the easy removal of the flap assembly and the security panel frame when changing the height of the pet portal opening in the field. There is a further need to facilitate easy removal of the flap assembly and the security panel frame when the consumer attempts to service the pet portal flap assembly in the field.